Social Impact Heroes Helping Our Planet: Why & How Georgia Wright & Mukta Dharmapurikar Of YR Media Are Helping To Change Our World
An Interview With Martita Mestey
Another crucial step was talking to other folks whose projects I admired, and learning as much as I possibly could about how they approached their launches. Our now-Executive Producer, Amy Westervelt, has in particular been extremely generous with her time and support of our show. No one succeeds in a vacuum, so finding mentorship anywhere you can (and, subsequently, lifting others up as you climb) is huge.
As part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Georgia Wright, senior audio producer for YR Media and co-creator of Inherited, and Mukta Dharmapurikar, freelance journalist for Inherited.
Inherited is a critically acclaimed narrative podcast for, by, and about young people growing up in a changing climate. Inherited showcasest experiential, empathy-forward stories from within the movement and beyond. Created and produced by Georgia Wright and Jules Bradley, Inherited has been featured in The New York Times, New Scientist, the CBC, Gizmodo, Vulture, Outside Magazine, Grist, and more.
Georgia Wright (she/they) is a writer and senior audio producer for YR Media. She is the co-creator of Inherited, a critically acclaimed storytelling podcast about climate and youth. Previously, Georgia has worked on media projects for a wide variety of organizations, including NPR, the World Science Festival, and the Brennan Center for Justice. In her limited free time, she can be found organizing locally, making sundry artwork, and chipping away at a someday-novel.
Mukta Dharmapurikar is a freelance journalist and student at Harvard University who enjoys writing about climate change, health science, voter education, and identity. In 2022, her journalism portfolio won the $10,000 Scholastic and New York Times Gold Medal Portfolio Scholarship, and her writing has been recognized by the US Consul General in Hamburg through the Amerikazentrum International Journalism Program. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, reading, and hiking!”
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
GW: I grew up in RI, specifically a very small island hometown in Narragansett Bay. There, I was lucky to spend a lot of time on the coast, connecting with nature on a daily basis. It was something that my close-knit community experienced together: a love of the island, the land, the ocean. Exploration and awe of the natural world underscored my days, while my family of artists and musicians helped me express my feelings and opinions through creativity. I consider myself to have been extremely fortunate in my childhood, though as a teenager I began to struggle deeply with my mental health.
You are currently leading a social impact organization that is making a difference for our planet. Can you tell us a bit about what you and your organization are trying to change in our world today?
GW: The goal of Inherited is to create well-paid opportunities for young people to explore the climate crisis through audio storytelling. The stories featured in Inherited all have a common goal: document an unprecedented time in human history from the perspective of young folks, particularly those from historically marginalized communities.
Inherited storytellers take myriad creative and journalistic approaches: processing climate anxiety in personal essays, tracking the crisis’ effects in their communities or homes, or creating fiction, music, or sound art on the subject. As a collective, we aim to create joyful creative community, exemplify the future we’d like to live in, and bolster the efforts of our most vulnerable neighbors and activists through compelling, character-driven storytelling.
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?
GW: Everyone has a different way into the climate fight. I had a strong childhood attachment to the natural beauty of my hometown and was infuriated when I learned about the systemic forces preventing many communities across the world from accessing nature the way I did as a kid. There are myriad oppressions that make the effects of the climate crisis disproportionately harsh on certain communities — particularly people of color, poor people, Indigenous folks, LGBTQ+ folks, women, and disabled folks. My world was reframed, and my passion ignited when I began to connect the lack of political will on climate to white supremacy, capitalism, ableism, colonialism, and other oppressions that have plagued American society from the jump. All this, coupled with the dramatically small window we have to take action, sparked severe climate anxiety and doom. I knew I could alleviate those feelings through action, community-building, and creation.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest them. They don’t get up and just do it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and do it? What was that final trigger?
GW: Above all, I’d like to underscore how fortunate Jules and I were in mentorship and community support for this project. I think there are a lot of factors that go into manifesting one’s ideas and dreams, and the privileges of time, financial stability, and connections were certainly major components in bringing Inherited to life. We worked very hard too, of course! But I think there are many people who work just as hard for whom the stars don’t align, so I don’t want to chalk it up to pure moxie.
If anything, the realization that we did in fact have the tools to create this show was a huge incentive to go through with it. Storytelling was the only way we knew how to make a difference. We weren’t climate scientists, frontline activists, powerful politicians, or billionaires. But we wanted to contribute to the fight, as well as create a space to process our own complicated feelings on the subject.
Many people don’t know the steps to take to start a new organization. What are some of the things or steps you took to get your project started?
GW: First off: find a buddy. This project could have NEVER taken off without the amazing creative collaboration, accountability, and shared dreams I discovered alongside my co-creator Jules Bradley. So: finding an incredibly cool, hardworking, fun collaborator is my number one tip.
Another key part of building a new creative project is sampling the type of work that you aim to make. It’s great to talk big ideas, but when push comes to shove folks are going to want to see EXAMPLES. Early on, I made a sizzle reel (essentially, a podcast trailer) and that 3-minute clip became key to gaining support. It demonstrated the type of work I wanted to make, as well as the skills I’d be able to contribute to the project.
Another crucial step was talking to other folks whose projects I admired, and learning as much as I possibly could about how they approached their launches. Our now-Executive Producer, Amy Westervelt, has in particular been extremely generous with her time and support of our show. No one succeeds in a vacuum, so finding mentorship anywhere you can (and, subsequently, lifting others up as you climb) is huge.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
MD: One of the most surprising things I’ve learned is about the social impact that climate change has had on Indian agricultural communities like my grandfathers. Other than the physical destruction and economic losses caused by flooding, I’ve discovered a fracture in the spirit and culture of the community that has been so interesting yet so saddening to explore. From young people leaving their hometowns behind to neighbors no longer greeting one another, I’ve discovered that climate change’s power to destroy poses a threat to not only our lives and landscapes, but our identity as a community.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson or take away you learned from that?
MD: I was so excited–I had just found the perfect opportunity to record. My grandfather was watching a news report about how climate change affects Indian agriculture, an ironic coincidence that would make a fantastic opener to my piece. But weeks later, when I listened back over the audio, already having returned from India, I was gravely disappointed. The whole time, there had been a loud fan whirring in the background, a noise I didn’t notice at the time but had ruined my entire recording.
While this mistake taught me the importance of being aware of the noises in your surroundings, it also forced me to learn how to adapt when audio didn’t work out the way it was supposed to. I eventually rearranged the structure of my piece to open in a new and even more compelling way, a change I would never have made had the audio turned out the way I wanted. Because I was forced to change my plans, I had to actively search for ways to make my piece better rather than just settling for good!
Are there three things the community, society, or politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
MD: I think one change society and politicians could make is to invest in science communication more. One of the biggest issues we have when it comes to climate change is that people either don’t understand the gravity of the problems, they feel too small to take any action to help, or they are tired of the divisiveness of the issue. Better communication could help us address these social fractures. One change the community could make is actively placing a climate-focused lens on their habits and questioning wasteful habits that we’re programmed to partake in. This may seem daunting, but it usually means small changes that can add up to mean something more. For example, instead of automatically shopping for back-to-school supplies at the beginning of each year, try considering what is already in the house. Or rather than just thinking about the food wasted when you throw away leftovers, consider the energy that went into producing each of those foods and how that is wasted as well.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
MD: I would tell them to remember that to make a big change, you have to get others to listen. Sometimes it’s tempting to only focus on researching or analyzing an issue, but the incredible discoveries you make won’t mean anything if you can’t communicate them to others. In the same vein, a well-focused movement can’t achieve its full potential if others don’t understand its message. It’s so important to focus on your own goals and carve out spaces to celebrate change with like-minded people, but it’s also equally important to approach conversations not just with candor, but also with humility, empathy, and understanding. After all, we can’t fight something if we don’t understand it. Acceptance is often the first step to social change.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
MD: “Be who you are and say what you feel, for those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind” — Dr. Suess. This quote keeps me grounded in those moments where I regret saying something I believe in out of fear that it would alienate others or worry that others may not like who I am. I think it especially resonates with people who are passionate about making change in times when passion isn’t always popular.
How can our readers follow you online?
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inherited/id1508946017
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/583O1ysecdpa3VSZaMLutM
Follow Inherited on Instagram
Follow Inherited on Twitter
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
Social Impact Heroes Helping Our Planet: Why & How Georgia Wright & Mukta Dharmapurikar Of YR Media… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.